278 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



confident we should have come across nests and eggs of the Spotted Crake, 

 On the Dartmoor bogs vre have never flushed any of these Crakes, the 

 country being too high and exposed for them. 



Montagu says, " We liave obtained this speeies as early as 14th of Marcii, and as late 

 in the year as '2ord October, in Devonshire, but, never in the winter months " (Om. 

 Diet., 8u])pl.). Dr. E. Moore states it was " rather scarce, mostly obtained in autumn. 

 We have five or six specimens" (Mag. iS'at. Hist. 1837). The Eev. E. A. Julian terms 

 it '• very rare ; is occasionally seen in the months of September and October in 

 Efford Marsh, where one specimen was obtained. The Eev. C. Bulteel also has a 

 specimen in his collection which he shot near Erniington " (' Naturalibt,' 18.t1, p. 87). 

 One was killed at Plymouth, November lUth, 1855, and others seen (J. G., Zool. 1856, 

 p. 494(5). One at Eridcstow, October 1st, 1862, and at Plymouth. No\euiber 1st, 



1862 (B., MS. Kotes). One was tound dead on the railway near Tavistock, October 



1863 ; one, October 13th, 1873, near Plymouth (J. G., Zool. 1863, p. 88;i2 ; 1873, 

 p. 3786). One was obtained from Plymouth Market, December 15th, 1884 (E. P. N., 

 Zool. 1885, p. 69). Several liave been shot in the Kingsbridge district. A male at 

 Kingsbridge, November 3rd, 1875 CR P.N., Zool. 1875, p. 4763). One at Thurlestone 

 Ley, September 21st, 1878 (E. A. S. E., MS. Notes). 



Other places where tlie Spotted Ciiike has occurred are Dartington (T. & K.) and 

 the marshes near Newton (E. P., Trans. Devon. Assoc, viii. p. 28*J). 



This Crake has frequently been obtained on the Exe, where we saw specimens on 5th 

 October, 1853, and 2nih September. 1854, and shot oneSeptember 17th, 1855 (W. D'U., 

 Zool. 1855, p. 4895). One was shot close to the Eailway Station at Exmouth in 

 October 1890 (Seaward). One was seen November 19th, 1873, on the north coast of 

 Devon (M. A. M., Zool. 1874, p. 382()). Two in Braunton Marshes, September 1874, 

 !ind it was thought to be numerous tliere (G. F. M.,Zool. 1874, p. 4253). Frequently 

 flushed in clover-fields in September, and on Braunton Burrows in December, Januarv, 

 and February (M. A. M., Zool. 189L), p. 94). It is an oeeaBional visitor to Lundy 

 Island (Trans. Devon. Assoc, viii. p. 3U9). 



[Bailloil's Crake. Porzan a haillonl (yieWl), 



There is no properly .authenticated occurrence of this Crake in Devon. 

 All that have yet been recorded proved to belong to the next species. 



We have never handled a Devonshire specimen of Baillon's Crake. 

 The one recorded by us as having been shot on the Braunton Burrows on 

 February 4th, 1876, proved to be an adult male Little Crake. These 

 minute Crakes are almost impossible to flush, and rather than take wing 

 will run and conceal themselves in any convenieut rat-hole, until the 

 danger thieateniug them has passed. We believe them to be more 

 numerous in England than is supposed ; the majority of instances of their 

 occurrence are due to cats which have cauglit and brought them into houses, 

 and we consider that they sometimes nest and esca])e detection in the 

 thick aquatic herbage in quiet places. At the time !Mr. Cecil Smith wrote 

 his book, he only knew of the Somersetshire specimen which had been 

 recorded by Mr. Yarrell ("British Birds,' 1st ed. vol. iii. p. 21), an adult 

 female which was shot in September, lS4ll, near Weston-super-Mare, bnt 

 he became possessed subsequently of two specimens which were obtained 

 by the side of the Tone close to Taunton. We saw both of these birds in 

 the flesh, and were satisfled that they were birds of the year. The dates 

 when they were procured were in the first week of October, ISTO, and 

 29th September, 1875. 



